Calypso

Her unenthusiastic smile turned wry as Shield alluded to how her situation could have taken a more dire turn. "True," The word mixed into another short sigh while her gaze faltered back to the bar counter. His subtle reassurance, however, combined with the shift in topic back to which quests they should aim for, allowed a small sense of relief to wash over her. Unlike the redhead whose intentions she could only imagine were oh-so pure, Shield neither patronized her nor doubted her goals. The lack of judgement was appreciated, as that seemed to be one thing that she often watched plague the gaming community.

She nodded in understanding as he reiterated a bit of their earlier discussion before they had been so rudely interrupted. She waited patiently while he appeared to be going through a list in his menus, likely a quest log. When he spoke up again and offered for her to look over the details herself, Callie shifted in her seat to face him and the semi-transparent window hovering in the air properly. Her shoulder leaned forward slightly while her eyes slid over the information. She was surprised to hear the destination would be on the ninth floor, but her expression remained calm until the end of Shield's brief explanation. It would be all-new territory for her, and she had no reference point for the strength of the monsters on that floor, but the note of confidence in the man's voice prevented her from worrying over the what-ifs.

She still didn't like the idea of being a tag-along, but she stopped to think for a moment. Allowing herself a second of clarity, she realized that perhaps jumping straight into battle with monsters when she could still count the number of times she's unsheathed her blade on one hand wasn't the best of ideas. Not unless she was in a hurry to continue embarrassing herself, at least. If this was a quest that Shield was willing to solo anyway, perhaps she could take this more as an opportunity to observe. After a few thoughtful seconds after her company's voice had faded, Callie gave another nod, taking on a more genuine smile. "Sounds good to me." She confirmed, leaning back a bit to sit up straight in her seat again. Her mind wandered a few steps to the next logical points of what would come next after she had a bit of experience under a belt. Having to hold back a groan at the realization, a bit of her disinterest came through in her voice as she commented in a low voice, "I suppose I ought to actually look over my skills section at some point..."

She thought aloud in a soft voice, stopping to look out over the scenery made up of a combination of real-world natural formations and fantasy-themed oddities. Her brows shifted upwards a bit, her expression taking on a bit of longing as she gave a sideways glance to the hybrid familiar whose thin body bobbed gently as he suspended himself in the air nearby. "Really, is it so bad to just stay here...?" The serious tone in her own voice caused her to feel a twinge of sadness before she forced the corners of her mouth up into a slight, bittersweet smile. "I know I can't take you back home, at least." She forced a half-chuckle. "There are a lot of things I can't take." Once again, she couldn't keep the somber tone from carrying into the air. Callie carried herself over to the bark of a heavy tree, turning on the heel of her boot and leaning back against it with just as heavy a sigh.

ID#: 91336 | LD: 15 - Success (4/5)

Danesh continued to wind through the air at a leisurely pace beside his player as he matched her distracted pace. Callie occasionally knelt down to pick up a sprig of herbs or unearth a small chunk of half-buried minerals, taking mindful steps so as not to pass up anything she had the ability to spot without any bonuses to her luck or gathering abilities. When she hit lulls in her searches she would take a short break to enjoy the light breeze that ran over the wild grass of the rolling plains. Her long hair would gently carry in the wind, and she would either tuck the locks behind an ear or wrap her hand around the entirety of the cerulean strands to pull them forward over her right shoulder where they would rest for a bit. "I'd never see things like this back home..."

ID#: 91335 | LD: 7 - Fail (3/5)

"Rhonzo says she she stops by once or twice a week with some decent stuff for a lowbie scavenger. No tycoon, but it seems like she knows a thing or two. Probably keeps the best stuff she gets her hands on for herself." The comment elicited a scoff out of the swordsman. "Well, it don't look like she's using 'em for anything, eh?" A wicked grin spread across his features alongside the words. "C'mon, we'll stick around for a bit." He instructed, taking a few steps forward while looking for another boar to run his blade through in the meantime. Their unaware prey continued to hunt for the materials she needed, not only to complete the quest she had picked up, but also to meet a quota she had set for herself. If Callie was going to bother heading out into the wilderness, she was going to make it a profitable trip.

ID#: 91334 | LD: 13 - Success (3/5)

Nothing like the dragonling of Hestia's friend that she had described back when she offered her accompaniment on the quest. While Callie continued the repetitive cycle of searching the area for materials that could be gathered from the ground and other foliage that littered the plains of the first floor, a trio of players stood in the distance, outside of earshot from the cerulean-haired woman. "That's her?" One player with very short, unkempt blonde hair held a straight sword in one hand, having just felled a simple boar so as to look preoccupied. His eyes lingered on the woman in the distance only when her attention was not directed towards them, and he gave a roll of his wrist to flourish his blade with a spin before lowering it back to his side. "Yeah." A feminine voice spoke up in reply, the player's medium-length black hair partially concealed by the hood and half-cloak that hung to the middle of her back.

ID#: 91325 | LD: 17 - Success (2/5)

Perhaps it was simply a bit strange to watch as he seemed to be held aloft by nothing more than the game's coding. She cast a sideways glance towards the familiar. It almost felt unfitting to call him 'loyal'; ever since she had tamed the creature to fulfill the quest objective, she felt more like she had replaced the tree that she had originally spotted him napping on. Hestia had mentioned each creature having its own personality, and that it was important to try to understand them in order to form a more successful bond, or something along those lines. Repeating the sentiment in her head, Callie's brows knit together before she pulled her gaze away from Danesh. The small hybrid was either an incredibly simple creature, or more complex than she could currently understand. Despite all of their time together thus far, all she knew about the tiny dragon was that he was independent but obedient, clever, and was quite fond of naps.

ID#: 91324 | LD: 2 - Fail (1/5)

She passed the question on to her silent familiar, who picked his head up and blinked his onyx eyes a couple of times as the rooftops no longer blocked the virtual sunlight from shining down on them. His small paws pressed against her shoulder and the back of her neck, and he gave a small shake that traveled along his cylindrical body similar to how a dog would shake off. The solid gray 'mane' that traveled along his spine seemed to become even more weightless than it had already looked, swaying gently through the air. After a couple of tiny steps, Danesh hopped from Callie's shoulders and his feet tucked in underneath his long body. The ermine dragon hovered and snaked slowly through the air, matching the pace of the woman beside him now that they were out in the open. Being some kind of dragon hybrid, it wasn't so strange that the creature was capable of flight.

ID#: 91323 | LD: 8 - Fail (1/5)

The walk was as long as always, as the main settlement could hardly be called a 'town'. Even from the shopping district on the eastern side, it took her nearly ten minutes of walking for the city gates to come into view. Once there she pressed on, leaving the city the same as she would any other day that she dedicated to foraging. It was a rather boring practice, but it was one that kept her busy and helped her avoid the scornful brands she sometimes heard tossed around the lower floors where the underleveled players typically resided. 'Lazy', 'slacker', or even more extreme insults like one she recalled hearing in passing a few days prior: 'useless waste of pixels'. Callie couldn't help but let out a sigh as the memory resurfaced. "What would we do if we could just spend the days however we wanted, Danesh?"

ID#: 91322 | LD: 15 - Success (1/5)

"Might as well get something extra out of it, I suppose." She reasoned with herself. The NPC dubbed Zachariah that had been standing idly across from her while he waited for a response took on a kind smile of appreciation after the dialogue window disappeared from in front of the woman. "Thank you kindly, Miss." He bowed his head towards her before turning his attention back to the glass vials in his hands. "I'll be right here when you've gathered the right amount of herbs. Just go past the city gates and you can find all the ones you need. Oh, and be mindful of the boars, would you?" He offered a casual but polite warning that marked the end of his scripted dialogue. Callie was quick to turn and continue on her way towards the outskirts of town, turning her head to check on the lazing familiar still resting atop her avatar's shoulders.

Callie fixed her gaze onto the quest prompt window that appeared before her, as if examining the simple question written out above the two options to accept or decline on it while she mulled over whether or not she wanted to accept. "An easy gathering and crafting objective, huh?" She mused in a quiet voice, pulling a hand up to her chin to lightly tap the second knuckle of her index finger against it a couple of times. "I can't imagine whatever this gives is worth a whole lot..." A noticeable frown pulled down at the corners of her mouth and her head tilted an inch or so to one side as she continued to mumble to herself. "But, if I was just going to go looking for materials anyway..." Her hand pulled away from her chin and an outstretched finger pressed down on the blue-and-white circle to indicate she would accept the quest.

It wasn't until she gave in to approaching the stranger that she realized it was not actually a player standing across from her now, but an NPC--and a quest-giver at that. Normally, she would have declined right away and moved on, hardly even stopping to entertain the interaction. Quests didn't interest her and she had no obligation to raise her level, but Zachariah's opening words managed to hold her attention. "Ahh, thank you, Miss. I've been looking for someone to help me out with some of these potions I'm working on." Experience and monster-slaying were far from her forte, but crafted items? She was willing to hear out the rest of these quest details before making her judgement. As she was still considered engaged with the NPC, he continued on. "Yes, I'm short a few herbs, and I could use a hand with finishing off some of these mixtures. What do you say? There will be a few extra potions I can pass your way if you'd help me out."

Just as she was about to tune out the rest of the noise on the streets and head for the town gates, a voice paired with the wave of an elderly man caught her attention. The stranger stood staring right at her, holding onto the necks of two potion bottles in the opposite hand. Callie stopped, unintentionally disturbing her companion with the sudden rock of her shoulders as they came to a halt. She cocked a brow, clearly aware that the alchemist was trying to flag her down by how he held eye contact with her. Still, it was odd to see such an elderly figure in the shopping districts--or even in the game as a whole, now that she thought about it. 'Hell, I'm probably older than most of the kids running around here...' She thought, a slightly sour expression working its way over her features at how very true the thought might be.

"Hestia mentioned her familiar was a 'protector' class. What does that make you, Dani?" Her nickname and gentle teasing elicited no response from the wingless dragon that practically appeared to be sleeping. She didn't have much of a reason or interest to do so, but she didn't even know if the creature was capable of participating in combat. Then again, she had hardly any combat experience with the claymore that rested in its sheathe at her hip herself, so who was she to talk? As she wandered the streets of the shopping district, her golden eyes traveled along the buildings and stalls, searching for anything that might catch her interest. "Perhaps just some more material gathering today?" She mumbled aloud, recalling that she hadn't taken the time to replenish her stock since she dropped off a couple of stacks of wildberries to that Cook girl on the north side a few days ago.

Getting no response of any kind out of the sedentary creature perched on her, however, Callie gave a small huff and uncrossed her legs. She picked herself up from the bench she was sitting on at the edge of one of the busier squares in the settlement and half-crossed her arms under her chest, loosely holding her elbows while she tried to come to a decision for the day's activities on her own. She would walk and think, long cerulean hair swaying gently behind her while Callie made her way through the winding streets of the city. She worked her way towards the shopping district that she had become so familiar with over the past months, the path very familiar to her by now. Danesh had lowered his head to lay more comfortably on his player, the feeling of carrying the lightweight creature on her shoulders no longer unusual for Callie.

"What's on the agenda today, Danesh?" Callie reached up a hand to gently scratch and stroke at the short white fur of the small creature sitting atop her shoulders. Her fingertips passed over the rounded ivory horns that protruded from the ermine sky dragon's skull, lazily circling around the top of his head while Danesh's beady black eyes stared forward into the loose crowds of players populating the Town of Beginnings. Her familiar didn't so much as chitter in response, though she hadn't expected him to. Whether he was just a very quiet, reserved creature, or he simply did not have the capability to produce any sound, she hadn't heard anything out of him since their first meeting on the seventh floor. Considering her own disability until she had begun living in this game some months ago, however, she didn't mind his silence in the slightest. In fact, sometimes she rather preferred the understanding gaze that he sometimes offered her in communication.

After the small animal had finished off the morsel that Callie had offered it, the tiny spinning cursor above its head suddenly shifted from a red color to a green similar to the ones hovering above hers, Hestia's, and even Kuro's heads to indicate their status as players and familiars. The small dragon hybrid's mouth opened even wider, this time in a silent yawn that once again bared its tiny sharp teeth. It continued to hover in front of her, looking up and staring at Callie now, as if inspecting his new 'owner'. She blinked back, feeling hesitant to pull her gaze away and look over her shoulder at Hestia's sitting frame a few paces back. "Is...that all?" She questioned, feeling unsure about the whole process. She'd played some kinds of beast tamers in all of her experience with video games, and although leagues more realistic, she supposed that the taming process wasn't all that different from other MMO genres.

As if to confirm her question and Hestia's earlier thoughts both, a system message appeared in front of her with a small chiming sound that pulled Callie's attention back to her front. The small window displayed a 'Congratulations!', informing her that she had completed the quest while her new familiar began to sniff at her fingers still held out in front of her. Part of her was pleasantly surprised, calmly thinking about how much easier that had ended up being than she had been worried about. But another, more overpowering side of her stretched a wide smile across her face. Callie gingerly turned one of her hands, scratching lightly at the top of the creature's head as he allowed her to.

Whether it was the sense of childlike wonder that came from the realism of it all, or just the instinctual satisfaction that came from completing a quest objective, the cerulean-haired woman turned back to Hestia while wearing a grin. "So... Will he just follow me around? Do I need to feed him?" Before she realized it, she had so many questions that she hadn't bothered to find the answers to before going on the endeavor. She took a couple of hesitant steps away from the familiar and towards Hestia, as if wanting to confirm that he was going to stay nearby if she moved. With the relaxing atmosphere around them, Callie urged her excitement to calm a bit and took a seat across from her raven-haired companion. Sure enough, the little dragon followed after her, stopping near her right shoulder and stretching his head forward to sniff at it like he was inspecting a potential new perch to rest on.

@Hestia

Callie allowed her attention to be pulled from the strange creature that stared back at them as she noticed Hestia holding something out to her. She looked over to the meat in the girl's hand before reaching out to take it, giving her a small nod in thanks. 'I didn't realize I needed to bring something like this along... I guess it's really a good thing she's here, or this would have been a huge bust on my own.' Callie thought, feeling a bit glad that she hadn't continued to turn down Hestia's assistance earlier.

Her golden eyes turned back to meet the onyx ones of the rather passive-looking monster while she listened to Hestia's continued explanation. With a small nod, she held the food item in her hands and took a couple of hesitant steps closer towards the large tree. With how small and relatively harmless the creature looked, she hadn't even thought about the possibility that it would become aggressive and attack them. It didn't react until Callie had taken a couple more careful strides, and its small nose twitched as the scent of the meat she held must have carried through the light breeze to reach it. Close enough to spot the label displayed underneath the red spinning cursor above its head, Callie silently read off the name: 'Ermine Sky Dragon?' Taking another look at it, the creature did seem to be some kind of hybrid: a body shape reminiscent of both a ferret and some kind of Chinese or otherwise wingless dragon, the small rounded horns on its head, and the feet that that looked like tiny paws. As it stared back at her, she noticed its beady eyes drop to the meat she was holding, as if it was more interested in the prospective meal than it was in her.

Callie's bottom lip stiffened slightly, and she stood up straight, extending her hands a bit to properly offer the food to the creature. It sniffed at the air again before standing up on its short legs. The rather elegant mane that ran down its spine seemed to float through the air as it did so, giving it a weightless appearance while the dragon hybrid moved to jump from its perch. As it hopped into the air, Callie blinked in surprise when gravity seemed to fail to take hold of the creature. Its body snaked through the air, making it seem much more like its dragon half than the sleeping ferret it had looked more like minutes ago. The creature made its way to her at a leisurely pace, heading straight for the meat in her outstretched hands. It stopped, hovering in the air and sniffing at the food before it opened its mouth to reveal a set of sharp, tiny canines that easily sank into the item.

@Hestia

(OOC: riiip, good luck!)

Callie felt a lingering sense of unease as Shield continued to scold her. His particular example of how her plan could have backfired probably stung more than he had intended, and her fingers curled a bit tighter beneath her elbows. Despite how much she wanted to think that she hadn't done anything wrong, or how much her instincts had her wanting to push back against his stern tone of voice, her mind was clear enough to recognize it was one of reason, not to mention experience. Far more than she had in this world.

Her eyes closed, and the arms that had folded defensively across her chest backed down. She turned to face the counter, leaning forward and placing her forearms against it instead. A deep breath of her own filled her lungs before leaving in a defeated sigh. And yet, he was still offering to help her. Her eyes opened again, chin turning back towards the man while her shoulder shifted slightly, allowing for a stance that was a bit more open before she started to speak again. "Well, where to start." The corner of her mouth turned up into a half-smile as she picked out the pieces of information that needed to be shared.

"I'm mainly looking to level up for self-defense." She tried to find the best words to explain her current goals before continuing on to the reasoning behind them. "Up until now, I spent most of my free time on material gathering and trade on the lower floors here. Kept myself afloat, and helped other people who were more willing to fight get the stuff they needed." She summarized, averting her gaze as she reached the less dignified portion of her story. Her smile had vanished, and she tried to resist a small scowl as her theories behind the events that took place seeped out. "But I think one of my regulars sold me out. A couple of days ago, I had to give up just about everything, short of the untradeable starting gear I still had."

Her lips pursed slightly before pulling up into a more calmed smile. "So, it was either start over without changing anything, or I start playing the other side of the game. And here we are: level three, with hardly any combat experience." She pulled away from the counter, her arms still reaching forward to allow the sides of her hands to linger against the surface. A small chuckle escaped her, almost as if she was laughing off the pitiable situation. "So, if you're still willing to help, I suppose I'll take all I can get."

(OOC: Oh my gosh @Hestia thank you sooo much for letting me borrow that item. With it I got exactly a 19!)

ID#: 91300 | LD: 16 + (3 equip) = 19 - Success! (Enhanced familiar)

The two players hiked up the side of the hill, Callie smiling softly at the friendly exchange between Hestia and her familiar. It was surprising to see that the creature must have had some kind of AI or something to interact with the player the way he did, and this observation only served to fuel Callie's curiosity more.

They reached the top of the hill, allowing them a breathtaking view of the plains in the distance--much better than what they could see of the floor just outside of the settlement minutes earlier, in her opinion. "Wow..." She breathed out, unable to hold in her amazement. The plains of the first floor and the mountains of the second were impressive, but there was something different about the seventh that seemed to impress her.

As her head turned to get a more complete view of their surroundings, her eyes locked onto the branches of a large tree. Bare without any leaves, the long branches stretched and twisted rather wildly. More specifically, Callie's eyes latched onto a small creature that appeared to be sleeping atop one of them. With a long, cylindrical body covered in short white  fur, and what she could only think to describe as a mane that ran along the length of its spine in varying shades of gray, the creature seemed to wake in the newfound presence of the two players. Beady black eyes blinked open below a set of small, pointed ears and a pair of stubby, rounded horns. Callie's golden eyes blinked back, enamored with the mysterious creature. "H-Hestia," She stammered quietly in her hurry to find words without removing her gaze from the creature. "You said it could be just about any small creature, right?"

(OOC: Is it okay if I space out the 'taming' part a little bit? I don't want to shove a ton all into one post.)

"Ahh, that's right. I knew it was familiar." Callie commented when Hestia had explained the origin of her own username. The girl's comment about seeking out a type of swine as a familiar as a reference to the actual story of Calypso caused her to laugh. "That would be amusing, but I don't think I'll go to such lengths." She joked back with a lingering smile.

Rocky plains lay in front of them, with sparse foliage and a light breeze passing through that gently tousled Callie's long hair. Tucking a stray lock behind her ear, she looked out over the vast area. She could see monsters in the distance, wandering freely much like the boars she could always spot grazing outside of the first floor's safe zone. Mostly normal-looking creatures: deer and elk, even a large grizzly bear moving aimlessly a generous distance away from them. Callie's eyes drifted towards a nearby hill, and she lifted a hand in front of her stomach, extending her index finger towards the land mass. "Why don't we try getting a better view?" She suggested.

@Hestia

Callie began to feel a bit smaller as the air between the three players took on even more tension. Luckily, Shield seemed to understand that the weight of her gamble had fallen back onto her side of the scale. Even though she could understand that pure intimidation was perhaps the only surefire option they had left to dismiss their unwanted guest, she hadn't expected the intensity of their exchange to hang like such a thick cloud. Just as Callie's breath began to hold at the height of their stand-off, the stranger thankfully conceded and made for the exit.

Before she had a chance to let out a sigh of relief at his departure, her eyes turned back to meet Shield's. Without thinking, his hard gaze elicited a small flinch of her own, and his following words gave her a feeling akin to when she had been a child caught in a boldface lie right to her parents' face. She froze up for a split second before her defensive instincts kicked in. Her shoulders and bottom lip both stiffened in slight defiance, and although she remained seated she didn't stray her gaze.

"Excuse me!" She shot back, keeping her tone from raising so as not to draw any more attention towards them than they might have already. Her arms shifted from holding closely to her sides while her hands slipped past her inner elbows. Her ankles uncrossed beneath her, and though she continued to face him, she took on a more defensive stance with just a couple of slight movements. If there was any developed habit that wouldn't be leaving her anytime soon, it was using her body to communicate before her voice. "Since when is a power bluff a horrible tactic? I'm not the one who suggested to put my sword where my mouth was."

Shortly after the words left her, she almost regretted them. It was only after her tiny outburst that she realized an argument was the last thing she wanted to take away from the meeting they had agreed upon. Caught somewhere between her pride and a faint voice of reason, Callie let out the tiniest breath that might have resembled a sigh. The hard lines that her shoulders had formed dropped half an inch and her eyes finally broke away from his, drifting down and to the side towards the edge of the counter standing between them, as if to silently and subtly signal that she did, in fact, understand that she was at least somewhat at fault.

The pair of players walked towards the outskirts of Nimbus, making their way to the city gates. A soft smile rested on Callie's lips as she listened to Hestia continue to describe her friend and his familiar. 'A dragon, hm?' She echoed in her mind. She was no stranger to the imaginative creatures game developers were able to come up with, but everything in this place was so realistic, it was hard to imagine a full-grown dragon towering over her. Surely, those types of monsters were out there, but she was not so eager to pick a fight with one.

Her brows furrowed slightly at Hestia's prompting. She hadn't given any thought to actually obtaining her own familiar, or what kind of animal she would prefer if given the choice. "Mm, that's a good question..." She mumbled, bringing a curled hand to her chin to mull over the thought. She hadn't the opportunity for a pet growing up, and just when she had started to consider taking on the responsibility in her adult life, the subsequent setbacks she had dealt with caused her to doubt her ability to properly care for a small animal. Still, this was a fantasy game, so why not embrace the more adventurous options the game likely had available to her? Her smile returned as they stepped out of the fortress settlement and put some distance between themselves and the large mountain looming behind them. "Well, I can't say I know what there is to choose from. But if I got to be so picky, maybe something on the small side. If my username is any indication, I do have a soft spot for mythology, so maybe a more unusual creature would be nice."

@Hestia

The suggestion for the red- and blue-haired players to be the first to settle their dispute set off a reaction in each of them. The man only seemed to grow further agitated, though he quickly let out a scoff. "Really?" He shifted uncomfortably, as if searching for another excuse for his hesitation. Turning his chin towards Calypso again, he seemed to find one when his gaze settled on her. "I mean, I'm not a fan of hurting a pretty lady," He shook his head, a small smirk returning to his lips as he seemed to find confidence in his choice of words. "but if that's his angle, wha'd'you say?" He turned the challenge onto the woman still sitting beside him. "I can probably give you a few pointers on PvP combat while we're at it." His smirk grew a bit wider, expecting the situation to turn to his favor.

Callie, on the other hand, felt an unexpected sense of dread fill her stomach as the conversation escalated into talks of confrontation and what sounded like a proper duel of sorts. She froze for a moment as the ball passed into her court, whizzing by her as she was a second or two late on the return. The woman worked to compose herself, mind racing to grasp at an out. Perhaps if she could reveal her bluff to her original company, Shield might have more luck in retracting whatever challenges were being thrown around. Or perhaps the day's plans were just going to turn into her making a fool out of herself.

"Oh! I completely forgot to change my party settings." She tried to find the right words, avoiding the redhead's question while she hurriedly pulled up her menus. She sent a party request to Shield, golden eyes shifting up to stare over the screen that hovered in front of her, trying to meet the brunette's as if to silently communicate the importance behind her action.

She started talking about build paths again, and Callie had to stop herself from frowning. She hadn't even bothered looking at the skills available to her past the single weapon skill she had invested in back when she created her avatar. Still, any kind of pet system she had experienced in a game was typically low-maintenance and if it became more of a burden than she wanted she assumed that she could simply dismiss the creature and at least take away the experience from the quest's completion.

Just then, Hestia pulled up her menus and retrieved an item, handing over a fur-lined cloak paired with a statement that led Callie to believe the dark-haired girl would be insistent on taking her to complete the quest. The corner of her mouth hooked into a small smirk of defeat at the younger player's matching persistence, and she reached out to take the cloak in her hands with a half-chuckle. It was embarrassing to accept not only the girl's help, but the item she was being lent. Trying to swallow her pride for the time being, Callie held the cloak in front of her while listening to the description of what sounded like the most hyperactive--or at least the most agile--small creature she could imagine.

"That sounds like a handful." She offered with another light chuckle out of politeness if nothing else. There was no point it keeping the item in her hands, and so she equipped the Golden Fleece. Unused to wearing much different from the beginner gear, she took a moment to admire how the item that draped behind her shoulders. "Well, I suppose it's worth a shot. Shall we?" She offered the option of leaving the safe zone to explore the open areas where monsters roamed.

@Hestia

Callie's expression turned into a thoughtful one as he listed off a few quest names that sounded familiar, though she had trouble recalling the right details. After a while, she wouldn't be surprised if she would start mixing up a quest name to the vague descriptions or objectives she was able to find. It hadn't even occurred to her that Shield's advice might have come across as condescending until he offered an apology. After all, she hadn't told the man her actual level, though she was beginning to feel more and more nervous about broaching that subject. He didn't seem the judgemental type, but it would be hard to feel her position was justifiable without spilling the unsavory details of recent events. The fact that she was even caught up in such a situation was embarrassing to think about.

Just as they were moving the conversation along to another suggested place to start, the abrupt entrance of a third party caused Callie to give a slight start. She blinked in surprise, registering the presence of the redhead that didn't seem to have much respect for personal space. Her hands instinctively pulled up from her lap to hover in front of her torso, and she had to stop them from being the intermediary that responded to the stranger's brash interruption. Her stunned expression was quickly overtaken by the polite smile that she plastered back onto her face after Shield gave an unsuccessful attempt to shoo the rude player away.

"Thank you for the suggestion, but that's quite alright." She led in with a forced kindness before her tone grew a bit more sharp. "I'm not looking for a carry. If you're wanting to join us for your own benefit, perhaps we can start with a more proper conversation?" She tried to echo Shield's sentiment while also getting her point across that the red-haired man was clearly an unwelcome intruder.

"Now now, there's no shame in it!" The player clearly paid no heed to either of the gentle warnings directed towards him. "Getting carried is the quickest way past all that beginner crap. Trust me, dungeon grinding'll save you way more time. What level are you, anyway?" All but ignoring Shield's presence, the man seemed to latch onto Calypso's response in an attempt to sway her thoughts. His persistence, paired with the demeaning connotation of his words, further tried her patience. She hadn't allowed more than a second or two to pass after his invasive question before she spoke up again.

"I don't need to be carried." Her tone became more dismissive than the annoyed wave he had given to the brunette behind him. She felt the need to answer him, as if there was a number that she could provide that would get the man to back down and leave them be. Her mind worked as quickly as it could manage with her lack of familiarity on the topic. She thought back to the other players she had interacted with, and the few whose levels she knew. How powerful those people seemed at the time. That girl she met a few months back told Callie that she was level twenty-five, and her gear looked much more impressive than what the man sitting in front of her sported. Then again, Shield had called himself a frontline tank and the vanity equipment he wore didn't seem much more intimidating than her own. "If you must know, I'm level twenty-three." Feeling the pressure of time, Callie forced out a false response. A subtle annoyance still carried through with her words, trying to serve as another hint that the stranger's presence was still unwelcome.